Monday, July 23, 2007

Weekend Wrap-Up on Monday

Another busy weekend gone, but it was great because I got many things accomplished. The bag of beets and the big bucket of green beans from Neighbor Scott are all cut up and in the freezer. I made French cut the beans with my handy-dandy green bean frencher. Ever seen one of these?There are sharp blades inside on a wheel that runs up against another wheel. You put a few beans in the top, turn the crank, and out come French cut green beans. Kind of tedious, but for small quantities of beans, it works pretty good.

Here's what I ended up with for the freezer.

While I had my bean bowl on the chair the cushion got tossed on the floor, where Penny took advantage of a new place to take a nap. She really fills up a chair cushion, doesn't she? She's gotten almost too big to be a lap cat anymore.

I got the baby blanket for my niece finished and delivered it to her house today. Her truck was in the driveway, but no one answered the door, so I just left it on the doorknob (I'm also second from the top on her s#*t list right now, so maybe that's why no one answered the door!) The baby's not due for a few weeks yet, but every once in a while I actually finish a gift ahead of time.

I noticed a crow in my yard yesterday that has only 1 leg. It looks like a juvenile to me (its head and back feathers are not the shiny black of an adult, but still kind of a drab dark brown).I looked through the binoculars and noticed what appears to be a foot hanging down a little ways, so I don't know if its left leg has been injured or if it's deformed in some way. The reason I noticed it was because instead of walking around like the other crows, this one has to hop! Fortunately, the injury doesn't appear to have affected its appetite in any way.

I ran some errands after work today. First to check out a new quilting shop that just opened in the little town just south of us. The owner used to have a shop in Rochester that closed about 5 years ago. Now she's reopened again and it's so much closer for me. Wow, all the beautiful fabrics were quite inspiring and she hopes to offer some classes soon. I bought a new book and template to make a quilt for the bed with some fabric I have in my "stash."

I learned from a co-worker (Mary) this morning that the "event center" just up the road from my house is always looking for "wait staff" to help with wedding receptions, class reunions, parties and other events. Mary said she works there part-time on weekends. She would put in a good word for me if I wanted to fill out an application, so I made that my last errand stop on the way home.

The Spousal Unit has some reservations, but I told him most of the events would be a few hours in the evening. Since there's some uncertainty in my job right now, I decided it wouldn't be the worst idea to at least have a back-up plan (and the extra dollars would give me more money to spend on birdseed!) Mary indicated that they really have a hard time staffing daytime events, so if my current job does go away, at least I won't have to stand in the unemployment line.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ruthie,
Just read your blog for the evening, doesn't look like a wrap-up to me, since you have started some other projects, good ones too. You never lack for fun things to do.
A one legged black bird no less, don't think I've ever seen one.
Green beans look delicious how did your beets come out?
MOM

Jayne said...

Cool green bean thingie! Pretty blanket and looks oh, so soft too.
LOL... a book on "strip clubbing"... I know, not what it means.

Ruth said...

You are one busy and creative lady! Perhaps you need to quit your day job and do the casual job along with all your hobbies and other activities.
ruth

RuthieJ said...

Hi Mom,
Nothing much got started, but I was happy to complete the baby blanket and get the veggies frozen before they spoiled. I'm not sure about the beets because we haven't eaten them yet. I also found some recipes on the internet, so will have to try thawing a package one nite for supper and see what happens. I'll let you know.

Hi Jayne,
You know I never picked up on that book title until I was sitting out in the car and then said it to myself fast--maybe I'll have to get a group of quilters together and start a strip club at my house! :-0

Hi Ruth,
I would dearly love to quit my day job and concentrate on my yard/garden and more of the fiber arts, but I've still got a couple loans I'm paying on. Hopefully in about a year I'll be in a better financial position to pursue what I really enjoy....

Mary C said...

Hi Ruthie - you are one busy lady! I've never seen a French cutter before - very interesting. It looks like it did a good job. And looks like Penny enjoyed a nice comfy cushion.
Very pretty baby blanket - so soft and cuddly looking. I hope your niece appreciates all the work and love you put into her little one's blanket.
A one-legged crow - I wonder if it's the same one that was in my front yard a month or so ago. I think the one in my front yard was possibly a juvie. I chuckle at my family when I tell them it might be a newly fledged crow and they comment on how large the bird is. And I tell them that the birds can't fledge until they are about the same size as mama and papa. ;-)
OK - strip clubbing? Who makes up these terms!!?

Mary said...

With everything you are doing, how do you find time to post such great blogs? I know you are at work before most of us wake in the morning. You must be whacked out in the evenings.

I guess you are one of the most industrious people I know --- day job, blankets, green beans, one-legged crows, kitties, and applying for a job all in one day!

Good thinking about that job, Ruthie. You will probably love it.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Wow Ruthie- I'm tired just reading about how busy you are! I think I saw that green bean shreder in an episode of "Trauma- Life in the ER". (just kidding!) The blanket is so pretty, lucky baby. I have a few friends who work for Carlson Co. here in the cities doing banquet work and the love it. Good luck.

RuthieJ said...

Hi Mary C,
Penny's a funny cat. I can't figure out why that cushion was so much more appealing on the floor than on the chair!
The 1-legged crow was back today. I watched it perch on the edge of the bird bath, so apparently it's adapted to the handicap. Animals are amazing!
I looked a little closer at the Strip Clubbing book to determine how they got that name...apparently it has to do with the fact that all the quilt blocks are made from different sized strips of fabric and it looks like you can actually buy pre-packaged, ready-cut strips in coordinating colors.

Hi Mary,
Don't be too amazed at my supposed industriousness (is that a word?) There are many things that get neglected at my house, including my poor, dear Spousal Unit. Plus I usually take a nap for about 25 minutes right after I get home from work and then stay up too late at night.

Hi Lynne,
That green bean cutter looks like it was adapted from a fishing reel design. I didn't save the instructions, but I'm sure they had a warning not to insert your fingers (those blades are pretty sharp).
I was pretty happy how the blanket turned out...without a pattern, I'm not always sure what I will end up with.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ruthie,
Stopped by your "Sissy's" today, and Jane showed us the baby blanket, it is so pretty and boy is it soft. She said she is going to bring the baby home from the hospital in it. She liked the label on it, it brought tears to her eyes when we were there. "Look what Auntie Ruthie" made for me for the baby. She seemed pretty thrilled.
MOM